Hospital bed safety side rails



Nov. 30, 1965 R. D. DEWEY 3,220,023

HOSPITAL BED SAFETY SIDE RAILS Filed June 25, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet l Ronald D. Dewey INVEN'J'OR.

BY wad-53w MHMgm Nov. 30, 1965 R. D. DEWEY 3,220,023

HOSPITAL BED SAFETY SIDE RAILS Filed June 25, 1963 Q 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Ronald D. Dewey INVENTOR.

Y Mim Nov. 30, 1965 R. D. DEWEY 3,220,023

HOSPITAL BED SAFETY SIDE RAILS Filed June 25, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. l0

Ronald D. Dewey lNl ENTOR.

United States Patent 3,220,023 HOSPITAL BED SAFETY SIDE RAILS Ronald D. Dewey, Plover, Wis., assignor to Joerns Bros. Furniture Co., Stevens Point, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed June 25, 1963, Ser. No. 290,370 8 Claims. (Cl. -331) This invention primarily relates to a side rail attachment for hospital beds whereby the rail is readily and easily adapted to be adjusted or removed with respect to the bed.

It is an object of this invention to provide a safety side rail for a hospital bed wherein each end of the rail may be adjusted independently with respect to the bed.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a novel friction lock for ensuring that the rail is held in its adjusted position. This provides a safety factor built into the rail in that the rail cannot be dropped accidentally upon release of the friction lock.

Still another object of this invention resides in a safety rail of the character indicated wherein the length of the rail may be adjusted within limits.

Yet another object of this invention resides in the provision of a mounting bracket for mounting the side rail supports upon the bed wherein the complete rail assembly may be removed from the bed and relocated if desired.

Still another object of this invention resides in the provision of means on top of the rail supports for preventing removal of the rail from the supports but which may be moved to such a position so as to allow the rail to be removed without its support.

A final object of this invention resides in the fact that all movement of the safety side rail with respect to the bed has been rendered noiseless wherein the patient in the bed will not be disturbed.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the safety side rail attachment and supports therefor comprising the subject matter of the instant invention.

FIGURE '2 is a side view in elevation of the safety side rail shown in FIGURE 1 and further illustrating its mounting upon the vertical bed posts of a hospital bed.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view through the center of the side rail shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 3A is a partial sectional view similar to a portion of FIGURE 3 showing the lock means in a release position.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a view partially in section taken along the plane indicated by the line 6-6 of FIGURE 2 and partially in end elevation to illustrate the spherical stop pivoted in the top of the rail support.

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 10-10 of FIGURE 2 and illustrating the means for mounting the rail support upon the bed posts of the bed.

FIGURE 11 is an exploded perspective view of the components of the mounting means shown in FIGURE 10.

FIGURE 12 is a perspective view of the friction lock used to retain the side rail upon its support.

FIGURE 13 is a perspective view of one of the mounting brackets for use in mounting the side rail upon its support. Referring now to the drawings in detail, a safety side rail 10 is shown mounted for vertical sliding movement upon a pair of supporting posts 12 and 14 mounted upon the bed posts of a hospital bed indicated in phantom in FIGURES 1 and 2. Each end of the side rail 10 is adapted to be slid upon its supporting post independent of any movement of the other end. To accomplish this purpose, each end of the rail 10 is mounted upon its supporting post by means of a mounting assembly generally indicated by the numerals 16 and 18. Since the construction of the mounting assemblies 16 and 18 is identical, a description of the assembly 16 will suflice to indicate the operation of the device.

The assembly 16 comprises a bracket 20 which constitutes one link of a linkage system for raising and lowering each end of the side rail 10 independently. The bracket 20 comprises a pair of side plates 22 and 24 which are joined at one end by a pair of spaced cylindrical sleeves 26 and 28. The sleeves 26 and 28 are adapted to encircle the support post 12 and have a sliding connection therewith. A pair of nylon bushings 30 and 32 cap each of the sleeves 26 and 28 respectively and render the sliding connection of the bracket 20 with the post 12 self-lubricating and noiseless. On the side opposite the sleeves 28 and 30, the side plates 22 and 24 of the bracket 20 are joined by a pair of spaced web members 34 and 36. Attached to the web member 34 and extending into the area between the side plates 22 and 24 is an L-shaped lug 38. A friction lock which is generally designated by the numeral 40 is mounted by means of a pin 42 for pivotal movement between the side plates 22 and 24. The pin 42 passes through an aperture 44 in the friction lock 40 and through a pair of slots 46 and 48 formed in the side plates of the bracket 20 so as to accommodate slight movement of the lock 40 transversely of the post as it is pivoted about the pin 42 between the positions shown in FIGURES 3 and 3A. The lock 40 comprises a friction-retaining means 52 at its other end. The friction-gripping portion is formed with oppositely facing friction-gripping surfaces 54 and 56 resepctively. A recess 58 formed in the central or connecting portion 60 of the friction lock 40 is adapted to receive a spring 62 whose other end is retained by the L-shaped lug 38 for biasing the friction-gripping surfaces 54 and 56 into engagement with the supporting post 12. The friction-gripping surface 56 is formed by coring out a portion of the friction lock to provide a flat circular edge which may bite into the tubular post 12 tending to rock the lock 40 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 3 in response to any downward movement of the bracket 20 with the pivot pin 42. This biting action initiates the stopping, but the main holding power is carried out by the friction-gripping surface 54 which comprises a partially cylindrical hole cut on an angle just out from the centerline of the frictionretaining portion 52 of the lock 40. Therefore, as the friction lock rocks counterclockwise as viewed in FIGURE 3 under the urging of the spring 62, an angled edge 64 on the lower portion of the friction surface 54 causes the lock 40 to wedge around the supporting post 12 while in the released position shown in FIGURE 3A, sliding clearance is established between the gripping surfaces and the post. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the friction lock 40 controls the motion of one end of the rail 10. Lifting upwardly on the actuating trigger 50 connected to the lock 40 will compress the spring 62 to release the end of the rail being actuated so that it may be adjusted to any position. Release of the trigger 50 causes the rail to stop where desired. This provides an added safety feature in that the rail cannot be dropped accidentally upon its release for upon the release of the trigger 50 friction stops the rai-ls downward motion immediately.

As pointed out above, the bracket 20 of the mounting assembly 16 and the identical bracket 66 of the mounting assembly 18 constitute a pair of parallel links of the linkage system. The tubular components 68 and 70 of the rail 10 constitute the other pair of parallel links in the system. The tubular components 68 and 70 of the rail 10 are held in parallel relationship by means of a U-shaped tubular component 72, rigidly attached to the ends of the components 68 and 70. Extension rods 74 extend from each end of the tubular component 68 and are pivoted to the brackets 20 and 66 by means of nylon trunnions 78 journaled between the side plates of the brackets 20 and 66. The trunnions 78 are carried by rivets such as 80 which also extend through the rods 74 and slots 82 in the side plates of the bracket. The other ends of the rods 74 are telescopically received within the ends of the rail components 68 and form a sliding connection therewith through means of nylon bush ings such as 84. The rods 74 extend through apertures 86 and 88 in the U-shaped component 72 of the rail 10. A nylon guide cap 90 contained within the aperture 88 renders any movement of the rod 74 substantially noiseless. A coil sprnig 92 is adapted to encircle the rod 74 between the nylon bushings 84 and the guide cap 90 for urging the rail to a centered position between the support posts 12 and 14 at all times and further serves to align the adjusted ends of the rail 10.

Similarly, a pair of rod extensions 76 are adapted to extend from the ends of the rail components 70 and are mounted between the side plates of the brackets 20 and 66 for pivotal movement by a pair of nylon trunnions such as 94. As the rod 74, the rod 76 at its end remote from its pivotal connection with the brackets 20 and 66 is telescopically received within the side rail component 70 and has a sliding connection therewith by means of a nylon bushing such as 94. The rod 76 extends through apertures 96 and 98 in the'U-shaped component 72 of the rail 10 and a spring such as 100 disposed between the bushing 94 and guide cap 98 tends to retain the rail 10 in a centered position.

It should be apparent that the pivotal connection of the extensions 74 and 76 between the side plates of the brackets 20 and 66 permit the brackets 20 and 66 to be moved vertically along the guide posts 12 and 14 respectively. The rail components 68 and 70 as Well as the brackets 20 and 66 are maintained in parallel relation throughout their movement due to the fact that the length variations of the rail components 68 and 78 during the vertical movement of either the bracket 20 or 66 are taken up by rod extensions 74 and 76. It should also be apparent, that due to the rod extensions 74 and 76, the length of diiferent hospital beds may be compensated for within adjustment limits defined by washers such as 102 and 104 carried by the rods 74 and 76 respectively.

The posts 12 and 14 are adapted to be mounted upon the vertical bed posts of a hospital bed by means of a pair of mounting brackets generally designated by the numeral 106 and 108 respectively. Referring specifically to FIGURES l and 11, it will be seen that each of the mounting brackets comprises a portion 110 and a clamping plate 112. The portion 110 comprises a pair of arms 114 and 116 adapted to embrace the sides of a bed post such as 118. Inturned shoulders 120 and .122 snugly abut against a third side of the bed post 118. The offset portion 124 is adapted to receive the post 12 or 14, as may be the case, and this connection may be made rigid by welding or the like. The arm 116 has an outturned flange portion 126 which has a pair of threaded apertures 128 and 130. The plate 112 comprises a plurality of spaced apertures such as 132 by which said plate may be fastened to a fourth side of the bed post 118. Apertures 134 and 136 formed adjacent an edge of the plate 112 are adapted to be aligned with the apertures 128 and in the flange 126 and fasteners such as 138 are adapted to be threaded therethrough. At its end opposite the apertures 134 and 136, the plate 112 has an offset camming tongue 140. This tongue is adapted to extend through a slot 142 formed in the arm 114 of the portion of the bracket 110. When the portions 112 and 110 of the bracket are placed about the bed post, and the fasteners 138 are tightened in an obvious manner, the camming tongue 140 will form an interference fit with the slot 142 which will cause extreme clamping pressure to be applied at the corner where the bracket is being secured. This method of securing gives exceptional holding power with only two bolts. The use of only two bolts and the simple clamping means just described allows the brackets to be removed and placed on another bed quite readily and simply. This contributes to the great flexibility of the rail.

Due to the great holding power exerted at the bottom of the support posts 12 and 14, it should be appreciated that the tops of the supporting posts 12 and 14 are maintained free of any attachment means to the bed posts whereby the side rail attachment 10 may thus be removed completely from the supporting posts 12 and 14 and repositioned on another bed having the similar supporting posts already mounted thereon. However, to preclude accidental disengagement of either of the brackets 20 and 66 from the supporting posts 12 and 14, a stop such as generally indicated by the numeral is provided on the top of each of the tubular posts 12 and 14. Referring to FIGURES 6-9, it will be seen that the stop 150 comprises a spherical body portion of molded plastic 152 which is disposed within the. top end of said supporting posts and pivoted thereto by means of projecting rivets such as 154 and 156. Projecting from each side of the spherical body portion 152 are a pair of lateral projections 158 and 160 adapted to overlie the top of the post and thereby prevent removal of one of the brackets 20 or 66. The stop is adapted to be pivoted from the removal position shown in FIGURE 8 wherein the projections 158 and 160 overlie and close the top of the supporting post to a position as shown in FIGURE 9 wherein the brackets 20 and 65 may readily be removed from the supporting posts. In order to allow the requisite pivotal motion of the stop 150, a groove such as 162 is formed in the top of the post to enable the projection 160 to pass through the post during its pivotal movement. It should also be noted that the spherical shape of the body portion 152 of the stop 150 provides for a minimum of interference of the stop with the interior of the tubular post. Furthermore, a resilient projection 164 is formed on the rear of the spherical body portion 152 for preventing accidental pivotal motion of the stop to the position shown in FIGURE 9. That is, the resilient projection 164 normally will bear against the inner surface of the tubular post and prevent pivotal motion. However, due to the resiliency of the projection 164, that is, the flexibility of the plastic from which the stop is formed, upon the requisite pivotal motion the projection 164 may be compressed inwardly to clear the inner wall of the post. A camming surface such as 166 is also formed on the bottom of the projection 164 whereby upon the pivotal return of the stop from a position as shown in FIGURE 9, the projection is cammed inwardly to the position as shown in FIGURE 8. It should also be noted that when the stop 150 is in the position as shown in FIGURE 8, dust is precluded from entering the interior of the posts 12 and 14. Thus, when the side rail is slid up against this stop it will strike the projections 158 and 169 simultaneously and cause a direct upward pressure which the pins 154 and 156 will absorb. Upon pivoting of the stop 150 to a position as shown in FIGURE 9, the rail can be readily removed from its supports and relocated on another bed.

To recapitulate the operation of the device, it should now be apparent, that each end of the hospital bed safety rail 10 may be independently adjusted by sliding it upon its supporting posts 12 or 14 by merely manually pressing upon the trigger 50 of the friction stop and manually moving the bracket or 66 upwardly. Upon release of the trigger the bracket will be properly positioned upon the supports. Due to the linkage system incorporated in the assembly, the brackets 20 and 66 may be moved vertically at all times. Also, the rail is adapted to be adjusted in total length to fit various sized beds. The rail may be removed along with its supports and relocated quickly and easily upon a dilferent bed by merely removing two of the bolts 138 on each of the mounting bracket assemblies. If desired, beds may be provided with the supporting post installations and the rail 10 alone may be relocated in the manner specified. It should thus be apparent that a safety side rail for a hospital bed has been provided which comprises a great degree of flexibility.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A guard rail assembly for a bed having end posts comprising a pair of vertical supports secured to the end posts, a pair of brackets slidably mounted on said supports, friction lock means mounted by each bracket for engagement with the supports to independently lock each of said brackets in any vertical position on the supports, a rigid rail member, two pair of link elements slidably mounted by the rail member and extending therefrom, means pivotally connecting each pair of link elements to one of the brackets, centering means engageable with each of said link elements for urging the rail mem-. her to a centered position between the supports, actuating means mounted by said brackets and connected to the lock means for simultaneously releasing the lock means and displacing each bracket relative to the other against the bias of the centering means.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein each of said supports is provided with a limit stop member, means pivotally mounting said stop member adjacent an upper end of the support for displacement between a stop position and a removal position, said stop member having a cap body portion closing said upper end of the support in the stop position of the stop member and a pair of oppositely directed projections extending from the cap body portion above the upper end of the support in the stop position of the stop member to prevent removal of the bracket from the support, said support being provided with a slot through which one of said projections passes when the stop member is displaced to the removal position.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said lock means comprises a lever element having a gripping portion engageable with the support, means movably mounting said lever element on the bracket for displacement between positions engaging and releasing the support and means biasing said lever element to the engaging position,

6 said actuating means including a trigger element connected to the lever element for displacement thereof to the releasing position and exerting an upward force on the bracket.

4. The combination of claim 3 including means for securing the support to the end post comprising a plate member fastened to the support, a clamping member having an offset portion encircling the end post, a tongue projecting from one of said plate and clamping members, the other of said members having a slot receiving the tongue, and bolt means interconnecting said members for establishing a binding fit between the tongue and slot to augment clamping of the post and support between the plate and clamping members. I v

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said lock means comprises a lever element having a gripping portion en gageable with the support, means movably mounting said lever element on the bracket for displacement betwfien positions engaging and releasing the support and means biasing said lever element to the engaging position, said actuating means including a trigger element connected to the lever element for displacement thereof to the releasing position and exerting an upward force on the bracket.

6. In combination with an end post and a guard rail assembly having a vertical support and a supporting bracket mounted thereon, closure means for an upper end of the support comprising means pivotally mounting said stop member adjacent said upper end of the support for displacement between a stop position and a removal position, said stop member having a cap body portion closing said upper end of the support in the stop position of the stop member and a pair of oppositely directed projections extending from the cap body portion above the upper end of the support in the stop position of the stop member to prevent removal of the bracket from the support, said support being provided with a slot through which one of said projections passes when the stop member is displaced to the removal position.

7. The combination of claim 6 including means for securing the support to the end post comprising a plate member fastened to the support, a clamping member having an offset portion encircling the end post comprising a plate member fastened to the support, a clamping member having an offset portion encircling the end post, a tongue projecting from one of said plate and clamping members, the other of said members having a slot receiving the tongue, and bolt means interconnecting said members for establishing a binding fit between the tongue and slot to augment clamping of the post and support between the plate and clamping members.

8. In a guard rail assembly movably supported between vertical post members, a rigid rail, a pair of supporting brackets slidably mounted by said post members, yieldable linkage means interconnecting the brackets with the rail for support of the rail between the post members, lock means mounted on the brackets for supporting the brackets on the post members in any position and release means connected to the lock means for exerting an upward displacing force on the brackets for controlling movement of the rail before releasing the lock means whereby accidental and abrupt lowering of the rail is avoided.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,811,726 11/1957 Dyett et al 5331 2,871,490 2/1959 Balonick 5331i 2,891,258 6/1959 Reichert 5-331i 3,012,255 12/1961 Diehl 5-331 3,045,259 7/ 1962 Mayer 5-33 1 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner., 

1. A GUARD RAIL ASSEMBLY FOR A BED HAVING END POSTS COMPRISING A PAIR OF VERTICAL SUPPORTS SECURED TO THE END POSTS, A PAIR OF BRACKETS SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORTS, FRICTION LOCK MEANS MOUNTED BY EACH BRACKET FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SUPPORTS TO INDEPENDENTLY LOCK EACH OF SAID BRACKETS IN ANY VERTICAL POSITION ON THE SUPPORTS, A RIGID RAIL MEMBER, TWO PAIR OF LINK ELEMENTS SLIDABLY MOUNTED BY THE RAIL MEMBER AND EXTENDING THEREFROM, MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING EACH PAIR OF LINK ELEMENTS TO ONE OF THE BRACKETS, CENTERING MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH EACH OF SAID LINK ELEMENTS FOR URGING THE RAIL MEMBER TO A CENTERED POSITION BETWEEN THE SUPPORTS, ACTUATING MEANS MOUNTED BY SAID BRACKETS AND CONNECTED TO THE LOCK MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY RELEASING THE LOCK MEANS AND DISPLACING EACH BRACKET RELATIVE TO THE OTHER AGAINST THE BIAS OF THE CENTERING MEANS. 